Copyright 2001, Susan S. McCrackin  Reprinted with permission of the author.

Kathryn Janeway pulled another discarded part from the bin holding items to be recycled. Scanning the part carefully, she satisfied herself that the part was non-functional. "Okay, Kathryn B’Elanna, how about this one?" She handed the part to the child.

Kathryn B’Elanna looked at the part carefully, then ran her finger gently over the surface of the object. Stopping, she concentrated for a moment before handing it back. "All better." Her tone was bored. She was tiring of this game. As Janeway scanned the part, she stood, putting her hands behind her back, "Hungwy."

Kathryn was concentrating on her scans, "What?"

"Hungwy."

Distracted, she put the part on the table, marking it now as a functional part, ready to be used for replacement. She put her hand to her mouth, shaking her head. The table was full of previously broken parts and pieces of machinery that had been restored to complete working order. The child had fixed them. By simply touching them and thinking about them, she had fixed them.

Kathryn Janeway’s stomach was full of butterflies.

"Dr. Zimmerman to Kathryn."

She raised her head and responded, "Kathryn here."

"I thought we were going to meet in the mess hall for lunch."

"Is it that time already?"

"It is past that time. It is almost an hour past that time."

She looked at the child, now staring up at her, "Oh, I’m sorry. I am on my way. Kathryn out." She reached down to pick up Kathryn B’Elanna, "I guess you did say you were hungry. No wonder. Let’s go meet your grandfather and eat some lunch."

Kathryn B’Elanna just looked at her and draped her arm around Kathryn’s neck, knowing how uncomfortable the woman holding her was. She tried to stay as still as she could until they walked through the doors of the mess hall, and she saw her grandfather.

"Gwanpaw!" She wiggled to be let down. He held his arms out for her and she ran into them, giving him a tight hug.

"So, how is my little girl today? Grandpa has been waiting for you for so long! You must have been really busy fixing Voyager today."

"I fixed Voger." She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked him intently in his eyes, "I touched it and fixed it."

He laughed, "I’ll bet you did." He threw a conspiratorial glance at Kathryn, a concerned look coming in his eyes as he saw her expression. Speaking to her, he said, "Why don’t you tell me how Kathryn B’Elanna helped you today?"

She slid in the chair next to him, "She did help me fix Voyager today." When she did not say anything else, he raised an eyebrow at her, inviting her to continue. Taking a deep breath, she said, "She did manage to help me…fix a few things."

After a moment’s silence, he realized she was not going to say anymore. "Well, good for you, Kathryn B’Elanna." He turned his attention back to the child, "So, would you like for Grandpa to get you some lunch?"

"Hungwy, Gwanpaw." She threw pouting look at Kathryn.

Dr. Zimmerman felt the tension between the two, "Okay, Kathryn B’Elanna, you sit here, and I’ll go get you some lunch." He stood, putting the child in her chair, and glanced at Kathryn before ordering her lunch from the replicator. 

Once he sat the plate down, Kathryn stood, "Can you stay with her a little while? I need to check out a few things on the bridge."

"Certainly, Kathryn. Actually," he paused to help Kathryn B’Elanna with her lunch, "she really needs to take a nap after lunch. Why don’t I take her back to my quarters after lunch. You can pick her up from there later."

Kathryn was staring at the child.

"Kathryn?"

She jerked her head toward Dr. Zimmerman, "Yes. Of course. I’ll get her from you later." She stood, looked at the child for a moment, then left without saying anything else.

Dr. Zimmerman put his hand on his chin and watched his granddaughter eat lunch. Smiling, he noticed the blue light in the center of the mess hall and watched as the Doctor materialized in front of him. He laughed when his granddaughter immediately turned and called to her father.

"She certainly knows when you get close to her."

The Doctor was reaching for his daughter, "Of course she does. She’s my daughter." He looked around, "Where is Kathryn?"

"She left for the bridge."

Hugging his daughter, he gave Dr. Zimmerman a serious look, "Did you get a sense of how it was going?"

"She’s rattled."

He looked at his daughter, "Have you been fixing things?"

"I fixed Voger, Dada. I fixed lots of Voger." She spread her arms wide as she talked, her voice excited.

"I’ll bet you did." He put her in her chair, "Be a good girl and eat your lunch." He sat down, "I guess I should have told her."

"Maybe. But I don’t really think so. I think you were right to do it like this."

"Really?"

"Finding out about her ability while being with her is better than hearing about it. I think it was probably less threatening than her hearing about it and letting it grow large in her mind before she saw it with her own eyes. You and Seven have taught her well. She always asks permission to fix things. She doesn’t do it on her own." He looked up at the Doctor, his eyes shinning with pride, "You are such a good father to her." He paused, "And a good husband."

The Doctor looked down at the table, "Thank you for saying that." He turned away, then felt his daughter’s hand on his arm. Looking back at her, he saw the look in her eyes and saw her arms reaching for him. He lifted her up and pulled her to him, pulling her plate over so she could finish her lunch while sitting in his lap. She made herself comfortable, then reached for a piece of bread and lifted it to him for him to take a taste. Laughing, he nibbled at it and rolled his eyes at Dr. Zimmerman. Satisfied, she put the bread in her own mouth, took a big bite and leaned against her father.

He bent over and kissed the top of her head, catching Dr. Zimmerman’s eyes as he did. Taking a moment, he said, "I don’t think I have told you how much it means to me that you are here with us…with me. Especially right now."

"I don’t think I would really want to be anywhere else." Dr. Zimmerman leaned back in his chair, "Being with you and your family has been an incredible experience. I never thought I would have a family, especially not a grandchild." His eyes rested on Kathryn B’Elanna.

"May I ask you something?" When he received a nod, he asked, "Do you miss Hailey?" From the look on the face of the man across from him, he knew what the answer was going to be. 

"Yes. I really do. More than I thought I would." 

"Dr. Zimmerman…."

"Don’t you think you could call me Lewis?"

The Doctor’s eyes widened in pleasure, "Yes. Lewis." He grinned, "It feels a little strange." Gathering his thoughts, he continued, "Lewis, have you thought about talking to Kathryn and Kahkar about seeing if Admiral Paris could send her program in a data stream?"

Lewis Zimmerman stared at him, his mouth slack. Finally, he started to shake his head, "No. I never thought about that. Do you think he could really do it?"

"I don’t know, but you should ask. You never know."

"That’s a good idea." Dr. Zimmerman grinned, "No, that’s a great idea. Thanks." He took a breath, "Son."

The Doctor started, then responded, "You’re welcome…." His voice trailed off, suddenly uncertain.

"Father would be acceptable. Or Dad, if you prefer."

"Father." He looked down, "Dad." He laughed, "I’ll have to practice and see which one…feels right."

"You do that, son. You do that." He leaned back, more relaxed. "Hailey would really love getting to know Kathryn B’Elanna and Seven." He looked the Doctor firmly in the eyes, "She will enjoy both your daughter and your wife."

Seven was standing in the center of light and images were surrounding her. B’Elanna watched as bits and pieces of Seven’s memories were given form. The images were disjointed and often confusing, but she was able to recognize figures based on what she knew of Seven’s experiences.

Seven changed as her memories changed. One moment, she would be the old Seven; then she would be in the brig on the space station wearing her restraints; next, she would be with a figure B’Elanna finally identified as Motalli.

It was Motalli who surprised her the most. 

She knew Motalli had saved Seven’s life, and that the two had grown close. The Doctor had told her everything he knew about Motalli, including the fact that Seven had fallen in love with him. She knew the Doctor was afraid that Seven still loved him.

The Doctor was right to be worried.

The image of Motalli was bright. Right now, he was standing in front of Seven, and she was leaning her head on his shoulder. He had his arms wrapped around her, comforting her. As B’Elanna watched, Seven’s experiences with Motalli played in front of her. She watched as he fed her in the brig. She saw Seven’s trust in him grow as they interacted. She stood still as she watched Motalli and his people remove the restraints from Seven as she sat in the chair. She grimaced as she watched them splint Seven’s arm and her leg, and she felt Seven’s pain. Her eyes widened as she saw how Motalli cared for her and could feel Seven’s love for him grow. When she saw them kiss, she finally had to turn her head as the pit of her stomach grew queasy. 

It was clear that Seven was still in love with Motalli.

But, something was wrong with the picture she was seeing. She could not figure out exactly what it was, but something was definitely wrong.

Suddenly, she realized that the picture in front of her had changed, and she was watching Seven and Alta Ro’bara. 

As soon as he appeared, she felt Seven’s hate pouring off of her. It was the blackest feeling B’Elanna thought she had ever felt. She involuntarily backed up as if doing so would protect her from the hate. She forced herself to watch Seven’s memories of the two of them, and she knew immediately Seven was trying to understand how she could not have known that Ro’bara was the man who had been in her head. Even as she watched, she knew there was nothing Seven would be able to see that would give her insight into the mind of the man. He had been too smart for all of them – and too protected. 

B’Elanna noticed a shift in the light and watched as Seven changed in front of her, now wearing the outfit she had gotten from Motalli’s people. B’Elanna heard her scream in anger and reach for Ro’bara, catching him around the throat with her left hand and lifting him in the air to hold him against the wall. B’Elanna caught her breath and felt Lonely Light holding her back, urging her to wait to see what would happen next. 

Please, no, Seven. Don’t kill him.

She did not understand why it was so important for Seven not to kill the image of this man, but something inside her told her that, if Seven did kill him, she would be lost.

Seven’s screams filled the corridor, and B’Elanna breathed a huge sigh of relief when she released her hold on Ro’bara and let him drop to the floor as she backed up and turned away from him. Immediately, the bright light went away, and Seven stood in the dim corridor. B’Elanna finally felt Lonely Light encourage her forward, and she stepped up to Seven, careful to keep a safe distance.

"Good, Seven. That was good. You did exactly what we planned." She smiled, trying not to react to the wildness she saw in the eyes staring back at her, "Now, let’s talk again. We will plan for the next part of your journey." She slowly sat down in front of Seven and felt Lonely Light join her. It took a long time before Seven sat down.

Chakotay looked up, surprised to see Kathryn walk onto the bridge.

"I thought you and Kathryn B’Elanna were going to be working on deck fifteen today."

"It is time for her nap."

"Oh." He watched as she moved toward her chair and slumped into it. "Sometimes, it is easy to forget she is such a young child that she still needs naps." He chuckled, "Hers is a very old spirit."

She mumbled her reply, almost under her breath, "Tell me about it."

He gave her a curious look, "What?"

She stretched out, sitting almost sideways in her chair, "Nothing."

He glanced back at the helm controls, checking the ship’s status. Seeing that everything was indicating normal, he crossed to sit in his chair, then leaned toward her, "Would you like to talk about it?"

She focused on a spot on the floor, shaking her head.

He sat, hesitant to try to continue their conversation. After a moment, he made up his mind, "I take it you had an…unsettling morning with Kathryn B’Elanna."

She gave a short, harsh laugh, "That is putting it mildly."

"Why don’t you tell me about it?"

Her hand went to her forehead, and she rubbed her temple. Finally, she said, "I have to tell you, Chakotay, that child frightens me."

He gave her a worried look, "What happened?"

She shifted so she sat facing him, "What happened? Nothing happened, Chakotay, except that she fixed things."

He blinked, trying to figure out what she was talking about, "She fixed things?"

Kathryn nodded, her look almost absent, "Yes. She fixed things. She took broken, worn out things into her tiny hands, rubbed her finger over the surface, thought about it and…just fixed them." She dropped her hand in front of his face and stared at her empty palm. 

Chakotay’s eyes narrowed. He did not ever remember seeing her this upset. It surprised him. "Maybe she can fix things, but she is still just a child."

"That’s what scares me, Chakotay." She pushed up from her chair and started pacing back and forth on the bridge, then started talking, her voice passionate and fearful, "She is a child. How can she understand her power? How can a child less than three years old understand how to control those powers? Chakotay," her words came out slowly, almost overly controlled, "do you realize what she could do to this ship if she got it in her mind? How could we ever protect ourselves against the mind of such a child?"

He watched her pace, giving himself time to process what she had told him. He thought about her words and allowed himself to carefully feel through his reaction to what she had said. He stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed his hands on his stomach, "What makes you think we would have to protect ourselves against her?"

"What?" She stopped, almost in mid-stride to stare at him.

"There are a lot of things I would be worried about protecting ourselves against, but Kathryn B’Elanna is not one of them."

"Yes, but you did not see what I saw today. If you had, you would be as scared as I am."

He stood and walked up to stand close to her. His face tightened as he looked down on her, "I don’t need to see what you saw. I don’t doubt that she is an extremely powerful being. It doesn’t surprise me that she can fix things by simply touching them and thinking about them. Actually, when I stop to think about it, I’ve known for a long time there was something really different about her. I knew it the first time I held her.

"But there is something innately good about her, Kathryn, and you need to see that. If you can’t see it, you should be able to feel it. It is the same thing that is in her mother. You saw it in her. I don’t understand why you can’t see it in her daughter. 

"You were never afraid of Seven when everyone else was. She could have done as much damage to Voyager and to us with her Borg capabilities as her daughter can do with her mind. Yet, you were never afraid of her. Why are you so afraid of her child?"

"That’s different, Chakotay. Her mother was an adult."

"Really?" When she didn’t respond to him, he continued, "No, I don’t think so. Her mother was really a child when she came on Voyager, at least emotionally. Actually, I think Kathryn B’Elanna is much more emotionally stable now that her mother was when you separated her from the collective. At least Kathryn B’Elanna has been raise by loving parents, who are concerned for her well being more than anything else. Seven and the Doctor have worked with her to teach her right from wrong. 

"No, Kathryn, I just don’t buy it. There is something else going on." He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned in toward her slightly, "What is it?"

She glared back into his eyes, and he watched as she fought a war with herself. Finally, he saw the fight go out of them and felt the tension in her body flow out of her. He stood, waiting on her to speak.

She closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose in a frustrated smile, shaking her head, "I don’t know, Chakotay. I just don’t know."

The Doctor was enjoying a few minutes of solitude in his sickbay. It was not often these days that he had the opportunity to work in the sickbay. It was much more likely that he would be in another part of the ship, working on repairing something on Voyager.

He laughed, thinking about the fact that he was well on his way to becoming Voyager’s chief surgeon. His engineering skills were getting better and better. The work had proven interesting – and distracting. He shook his head as he thought about the hours he and his daughter had spent, working in and around Voyager. It was how he had learned about her ability to fix things. The first time it had happened, it had frightened him. Then, he had been intrigued by her abilities. He had told Seven about what he had learned, and they had spent hours working with their daughter. Kathryn B’Elanna had quickly learned that she was never to fix anything without being given permission to do so. At first, they had been worried that she would not understand that they had to be around when she exercised her ability, but it had not been the issue they had worried about. They had simply treated these lessons in the same manner as they had taught her to say please and thank you, so Kathryn B’Elanna did not realize she was unique.

She had started going with him as he worked around the ship. That was good since her mother had retreated from them more and more. Fixing Voyager had proven a distraction for both of them.

He was so deep in thought, it took him a moment to realize that the doors of the sickbay had opened and someone had walked in. It was only when he started his automatic response that he looked up to see a figure standing beside him.

"Please state the nature….Supala!" He jumped slightly. 

"I’m sorry. Did I scare you?"

"No. Yes. Just a little." He quickly pulled himself together and grinned at her, "I was so deep in thought I did not hear you come in." He turned to pick up his medical tricorder, "So, please state the nature of the medical emergency." 

"No emergency, Doctor."

"Oh?" He noticed her expression, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, her cheeks turning a deep shade of read.

He turned, laying the tricorder down, knowing she wanted to talk to him, "Is this just a social call?"

When she did not respond, he slowly turned his head to her. Putting his arm across the top of his console, he leaned on his elbow, "Is there something you would like to talk to me about?"

"Uh…" she stammered, turning even redder, "I…uh…I heard that when Seven came on Voyager, you helped…her develop…social skills."

He worked to keep his face straight. He suspected he knew exactly where this conversation was going. In a matter of fact tone, he responded, "Yes, I did. Seven had never had a lot of interaction with people, so she was a little lacking."

"What kind of things did you teach her?"

He started walking around the sickbay, putting away equipment and straightening up, "Oh, conversation, etiquette," he paused, "dating."

"What kind of things did you teach her about dating?"

"How to dress. How to act. Just little things." He laughed, "Her first date was not too successful."

"Really? Why not?"

He nonchalantly walked back to stand close to her, "Are you really interested in hearing about Seven’s dating experiences," he softened his voice, "or are you interested in something else?"

He watched her eyes dart around the room before finally settling on the floor between them. He barely heard her when she spoke, "Something else."

"Would you like to talk to me about it?"

She nodded, her head dropping lower as she did so.

He reached out and gently put his hand on her shoulder, "Let’s go to my office." As soon she was seated, he ordered a hot chocolate from the replicator and gave it to her. "Now," he sat down in the chair opposite her, "by any chance, do you have a date?"

Her eyes went wide, "Yes! How did you know?"

Laughing, he replied, "Something in your eyes." He leaned forward and took her hand in his, "Supala, have you ever been on a date before?"

She shook her head at him.

"I assume your date tonight is with Harry."

She nodded briskly.

He looked deeply into her eyes, remembering both the excitement and anxiety of a young relationship. He also remembered what it was like to dearly love someone without that love being returned. He then remembered what it felt like for that love to be realized.

Reaching out to touch the side of her cheek, he said, "I am so pleased for you, Supala. I know how you feel about Harry and how important this night is for you. So," he leaned back in his chair, "ask me anything you want to ask about anything you want to know."

"Oh, Doctor," she sighed her relief, "thank you so much. I’m so…scared."

"I understand." He smiled at her, "What do you want to know?"

Seven was walking again. She could feel B’Elanna and Lonely Light behind her. She was focusing her attention, preparing for the images she was going to bring into the light. Finally, she stopped and felt her companions pull up behind her. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated, seeing the corridor before her brighten. She fought her fear as she felt the restraints tighten around her body. Before she gave herself into her memories of the experience, she turned toward her companions, locking her eyes on B’Elanna’s.

B’Elanna watched as Seven’s image blurred and then became clearer. She took one look at the pain in Seven’s eyes and had to force herself to stay still. As she prepared herself, images of people started to appear in front of her.

B’Elanna had heard about what had happened to Seven during her incarceration, but nothing that she had heard or the nightmares that she had seen prepared her for actually seeing it played out before her. The nightmares Seven had had been surreal and vague. The scene in front of her was vivid.

She watched as Seven relived her experiences, noticing the light around her change. It took her a moment to realize that the shade and brightness of the light reflected how Seven was feeling about her interactions. Dr. E’Nalto always appeared in a soft, bright yellow haze, as did Gerald/Motalli. Darrian Green and Alta Ro’bara were much dimmer and the light around them an irritating orange. She was trying to figure out what significance the colors had when she noticed the light had dimmed dramatically and a figure surrounded in a black aura entered. When she looked at Seven in surprise, the first thing she noticed was that Seven’s eyes were clinched shut.

Glancing at Lonely Light, she saw a different expression on the face of the Eightfour. It took her a minute to realize the look was sadness. B’Elanna reached out to her with her mind trying to ask her question, only receiving a gentle shake of her head. Frowning, she turned her head back to Seven, her eyes widening as she did.

The black encircled being had just jerked Seven out of the brig and was forcing her toward an alcove. For the first time, B’Elanna noticed that alcove had taken on a dark and foreboding look. She took a hesitant half step and put her hands on hips, working hard to understand exactly what was happening in front of her. As she watched, she suddenly realized that darkness was starting to close in on them. Darkness and…silence. She could not hear anything.

Her eyes moved back around, and she knew Seven was moving toward the darkness again.

When she pulled her attention back to Seven, she saw that the dark figure was standing directly in front of the restrained woman, their faces close. She saw the hand of the figure lift to touch the implant on the right side of her face, then slide its finger down her cheek to her chin before slipping under her chin and down her throat. B’Elanna watched as the fingers fumbled with the zipper on the top of Seven’s suit. She watched in horror as the figure started to pull the zipper down.

The sound of the zipper being unzipped blasted through the corridor and reverberated off the walls. B’Elanna had to slap her hands over her ears against the force of the sound, clinching her eyes shut as she did. When she opened her eyes, she saw the hands of the figure had moved down.

She flew for the figure, screaming as she made contact with it, feeling the coldness of the body slap at her as she slammed herself down on top of it. She pulled back her fist, swinging with everything she had, a gritty satisfaction filling her when she felt bones crumple as she connected and heard a scream of pain fill the corridor. She swung again and again, then realized her swing had gone long and felt a stabbing pain as her fist connected with the hard floor. She stopped, realizing the figure was gone. 

Jerking her head around, she saw that Seven had dropped to her knees. The manacles were gone, but her hands were held tightly to her sides as if still trapped by them. She was still wearing the prison garb, and the top was now partially unzipped. Her look was blank; her eyes were vacant.

B’Elanna crawled toward her, stopping just short of touching her, afraid of what doing so would do. Breathing heavily, she tried to make eye contact, "Seven. Look at me. You are all right. Please look at me." When nothing happened, she moved into Seven’s line of vision and tried again. "Seven, please. Look at me. You are all right." When she did not get a reaction, she tried again, this time yelling, "Seven! Look at me!"

The eyes slowly moved to focus on her, the look empty. As B’Elanna watched, a tear formed and slid down the right side of her face, following the invisible line of her scar. Not certain of what to do or think, B’Elanna put out her arms, inviting her. She watched as Seven’s face started to crumple, and her shoulders began to shake. After a moment, she leaned toward B’Elanna, almost falling into her arms.

B’Elanna wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close, hugging her tightly. "It’s okay. You are okay now, Seven. Shhhh. It’s okay." She started rocking slightly, feeling the woman in her arms dissolve into shaking sobs. She leaned her head down and kissed Seven on the forehead, then leaned her cheek against the spot she had just kissed and continued to rock.

Ketaria leaned back, taking a moment to relax. She looked over at The Sage, seeing the deep concern in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she sent her thought, "She is at a danger point."

"Yes."

"Is there anything we can do?"

The huge head shook slowly. "We can only continue to watch."

"The darkness is closing in."

The head deliberately nodded, "She is bringing the darkness closer."

Ketaria hesitated, "I felt myself pulled in. If B’Elanna had not intervened, I felt as if I would have been lost."

"We all would have been."

Ketaria thought about it a moment, "Sage, if that happens again, we must protect ourselves. We cannot risk giving ourselves over to that darkness. There are too many more who need us."

She watched as the mouth of The Sage changed shapes and the eyes looked off into the distance. After a long period of silence, the eyes moved slowly to look deeply into her own, "Yes. The next time, we withdraw."

Ketaria closed her eyes and lowered her head, the sadness she was feeling pouring through her.

The door opened, and Harry led Supala into Sandrines. As the maître de approached them, he could not help but glance at her. When he had walked into Kahkar’s living quarters, he had been absolutely shocked. She was stunning.

She was dressed in a beautiful, but simple power blue gown. The dress showed a slender form that he had never noticed before. It had one sleeve that ended high on her left shoulder, then swooped gracefully across her chest and under her right arm, leaving the shoulder and arm bare. There was a tantalizing slit up the side of her leg, ending midway her thigh. The dress seemed to fall in folds and waves across her body, and it took him a moment to realize that the light sparkled as it hit her. Her hair was fixed in soft, red waves that seemed to compliment its natural tendency to spike and wave. 

He had caught his breath when he had seen her.

Even now, he could not believe what he was seeing. She was beautiful.

And she was nervous. So was he. He could feel her shaking slightly through the grip they shared. He had always thought of her as a kid. He laughed silently at the thought. She was no kid. She was a beautiful woman. A young, but beautiful woman.

Still, he remembered the look in Kahkar’s face after she had walked in. He had been both proud of what he saw and scared by it. Harry had seen the look he had given him and had not missed the message behind it. No, he had not missed that look.

"Your table, sir." The maître de pulled the chair out for Supala, pushing it under her as she sat. After he placed her napkin in her lap, he continued, "Your waiter will be with you. Enjoy your meal."

He left, and Harry smiled at his date, "You look beautiful tonight."

She blushed and looked down at the table in front of them, "T-t-th-thank you."

He could see immediately that she was frustrated with her nervousness. He laughed and put his hand on the table, inviting her to put hers in it, "I have to admit, I’m pretty nervous tonight."

She looked up at him in amazement, "Really?"

He nodded, "Yes, I certainly am."

"I can’t believe you are nervous. You’ve done this before."

He laughed, "Well, yes, I have done this before. But, I’m still nervous. I’ve never done this with you."

She blushed deeper, "Well, I’ve never done this at all."

"I know," his eyes looked at her with a growing softness. Before he could say anything else, the waiter approached.

"May I bring you something to drink?"

"Would you like some wine?" Harry asked Supala, "Or champagne?"

"Champagne?"

"Yes, it is something people on Earth often drink for special occasions. It is like wine…."

He stopped when she started nodding her head, "Yes, I have heard about champagne." She glanced nervously at the waiter, then nodded to Harry, "Champagne would be nice."

"Champagne, please." The waiter acknowledged his order, then left. Harry straightened slightly, suddenly noticing the music playing in the room, "Would you like to dance?"

She took a deep breath, "Yes."

Harry stood and came around to her. He could tell she had almost gotten up, then, sat back in her chair as if suddenly remembering something. He pulled out her chair, then offered he his hand, leading her to the dance floor. She stood stiffly, her hands poised rigidly and moved awkwardly with him.

"Relax, you are doing fine."

"Really? I only learned to dance tod…uh, recently."

"Then you must be a natural." He pulled her closer, "I never have been much of a dancer, and you are making this easy for me."

"Oh."

He laughed to himself as she relaxed more into his arms, moving with him to the music. He realized it was the first time he had ever held her in his arms like this, and he marveled at how she seemed to fit just perfectly. It was with regret that he realized the music was ending. Reluctantly, he led her back to the table.

As soon as they were seated, the waiter appeared with the champagne, pouring both of them a glass. Harry lifted his and waited for Supala to do the same, "To our first date," he smiled at her, "and to many more."

Her eyes went wide, and he clinked his glass to hers, lifting his glass to his lips.